The association between leukocytes and sperm quality is concentration dependent

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To evaluate the association between leukocytes (polymorphonuclear granulocytes -PMNL) and semen parameters at different leukocyte concentrations.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was a retrospective clinical study at a university hospital andrology clinic. Semen samples from infertile men were analyzed for sperm morphology and motility according to seminal leukocytes (PMNL) concentration (category A: >0 to <0.25 × 10(6)/mL; category B: >0.25 to <0.5 × 10(6)/mL; category C: >0.5 to <0.75 × 10(6)/mL; category D: >0.75 to <1.0 × 10(6)/mL, category E: >1 × 10(6)/mL).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The percentage of sperm with normal morphology increased significantly from category A (14%) to category D (19%) but decreased in category E to levels (14%) similar to those in category A. Motility grades a and a+b (combined) also increased from category A (12%, 20%) to category D (18.0%, 28.5%) and decreased in category E (11%, 20.5%) to levels similar to those in category A. Sperm deformities and motility grades c and d increased progressively in all categories.</p> <p>Summary</p> <p>Leukocytes had a positive association with normal morphology and progressive motility in semen samples at a concentration of 0-1 × 10(6)/mL. The findings suggest that the association between leukocytes (PMNL) and semen quality might be concentration dependent.</p

Leukocytospermia and sperm preparation - a flow cytometric study

Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2009 Nov 19;7:12

Potential biological role of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) in male gametes

Maintaining the integrity of sperm DNA is vital to reproduction and male fertility. Sperm contain a number of molecules and pathways for the repair of base excision, base mismatches and DNA strand breaks. The presence of Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), a DNA repair enzyme, and its homologues has recently been shown in male germ cells, specifically during stage VII of spermatogenesis. High PARP expression has been reported in mature spermatozoa and in proven fertile men. Whenever there are strand breaks in sperm DNA due to oxidative stress, chromatin remodeling or cell death, PARP is activated. However, the cleavage of PARP by caspase-3 inactivates it and inhibits PARP's DNA-repairing abilities. Therefore, cleaved PARP (cPARP) may be considered a marker of apoptosis. The presence of higher levels of cPARP in sperm of infertile men adds a new proof for the correlation between apoptosis and male infertility. This review describes the possible biological significance of PARP in mammalian cells with the focus on male reproduction. The review elaborates on the role played by PARP during spermatogenesis, sperm maturation in ejaculated spermatozoa and the potential role of PARP as new marker of sperm damage. PARP could provide new strategies to preserve fertility in cancer patients subjected to genotoxic stresses and may be a key to better male reproductive health

A red palm oil diet can reduce the effects of oxidative stress on rat spermatozoa

Male Wistar rats (n = 54) received daily supplementation of red palm oil (RPO: 0, 2, 4 ml). Subgroups were subsequently injected with saline, cumene hydroperoxide (cHP, 10 μm) or t-butyl hydroperoxide (tbHP, 20 μm) over a 60-day period after which animals were sacrificed. Epididymal sperm motility, concentration, reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation and enzymes were measured. Sperm concentration, motility, superoxide dismutase (SOD) concentration, glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT) activities were significantly lower, while dichlorofluorescein (DCF) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were higher in sperm of hydroperoxide-treated animals compared to controls (P < 0.05). DCF and MDA levels were significantly lower, while SOD, CAT and GSH were significantly higher in the sperm of rats supplemented with RPO in combination with hydroperoxide treatment when compared to those receiving hydroperoxide and no RPO supplementation (P < 0.05). Moreover, the DCF, SOD, CAT and GSH levels in the RPO hydroperoxide groups did not differ from control values (P > 0.05). RPO supplementation can successfully attenuate the oxidative stress-induced sperm damage due to organic hydroperoxide exposure. We therefore propose that a daily intake of RPO supplement to the diet might be helpful in protecting males against the adverse effects of high ROS in sperm function and help preserve fertility